Navigate Up
Sign In
studentcentralstaffcentral
 

 Enhancing Higher Education Conference

 

The University’s Annual HE Pedagogic Research Conference was held on Friday 1 February 2019. Professor Linda Evans, Manchester Institute of Education, gave the Introductory talk. Abstracts for the Parallel sessions can be seen below.


Introductory Talk

 
9.10 – 10.10 am, Room C218, Levels 1 & 2   
Developing as an ‘extended’ pedagogic researcher
Professor Linda Evans, University of Manchester
 
In the 1970s, educational researcher Eric Hoyle (who was to become a distinguished professor of education at the University of Bristol) published his models of what he called ‘restricted’ and ‘extended’ schoolteacher professionality. Many scholars have gone on to use Hoyle’s models in their own research – none more so than Linda Evans, who has developed and adapted them to apply not only to schoolteachers but also to many other constituencies of professionals, including researchers. In this introductory talk at the 2019 Pedagogic Research conference, Linda will discuss how to develop from being a ‘restricted’ to an ‘extended’ pedagogic researcher. Within a general focus on developing and establishing one’s profile as an effective pedagogic researcher, she will talk specifically about how to develop a pedagogic research project with a view to publication, what journal editors are looking for, and how to master what she calls the ‘three Rs of pedagogic-research-for-publication’.  She will address how, at the institutional level, cultures of ‘extended’ pedagogic researcher professionality may be fostered, with a view to developing the support systems and structures that motivate, promote collegial research practice, increase capacity, and enhance the quality of research output.
Biography
Having worked at the Universities of Warwick and Leeds, Linda Evans is professor of education at the University of Manchester. Her research focuses on professional working life, and she has particular expertise in the fields of researcher development, academic leadership and research leadership. Whilst the context of her work spans both the compulsory and the higher education sectors, her most recent funded projects have focused on university professors and professorship. Frequently in demand as an invited speaker, she has presented keynotes in France, Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, Australia, Russia, Mauritius, the Republic of Ireland, and, of course, the UK. She has published over seventy papers or chapters and seven books, including Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (1998). Her eighth book, Professors as academic leaders: Expectations, enacted professionalism and evolving roles, was published in 2018. She is the former editor of the International Journal for Researcher Development, and currently associate editor of the journal, Educational Management, Administration and Leadership.

 
Parallel Sessions 1

 
10.15 – 10.55 am, Room A500, Level 5   
Student Centred Teaching and Learning Approaches to Enhance Student Experience
Angad Panesar, School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics
 
The challenges associated with wide entry grades; large class sizes; increased students on LSPs; insufficient contact time; limited mechanisms to encourage independent & peer study time; limited promotion of inclusivity & diversity etc., is constantly leading to innovative teaching & learning initiatives at the grassroots level in HE institutes. This work summarises two such module level initiatives at the Division of Engineering, which have resulted in high student engagement & achievement. The work also aims to offer universal guidelines, so that, such initiatives can be adapted & utilised in other disciplines.    The first initiative details a new mixed mode of teaching & learning approach, which was implemented by modifying the content & delivery of technical modules to promotes tutor-student partnership. The 8 steps in this new approach were grounded using pedagogic insights in, engineering education & student centred learning; to improve the balance between practical vs. abstract & content delivery vs. group brainstorming; to offer mixed style of problems, encourage student autonomy, include engaging tasks & add conscious inclusivity.    The second initiative utilised a project& problem based learning approach, where groups of students were set the task of undertaking concept-to-demonstration of a bridge structure. The novelty of this approach was in the addition of numerous styles of group puzzles & worksheets with open & closed ended solutions during the tutor guided sessions. Furthermore, the implementation of staged peer evaluation & group feedback activities aided in a quick turn around on submissions and creation of feedforward plan by each group. This initiative resulted in high student engagement rate (81% or n=132) and high average achievement amongst the 26 groups (65%).

 
10.15 – 10.55 am, Room A501, Level 5   
Changing Mindsets: exploring ways which Mindset influences learning, teaching and success
Jennie Jones, Centre for Learning and Teaching
 
A growth mindset is defined as the belief that ability develops through effort and embracing challenge (Dweck, 2006). Aronson et al. (2002) suggest that developing a growth mindset motivates students, enhances pedagogic practices, and helps to reduce attainment gaps. Funded by HEFCE and led by the University of Portsmouth, the Changing Mindsets Project (2017-2019) comprises workshops underpinned by research at 5 UK universities including Brighton (UoB). At UoB Changing Mindsets workshops have been embedded into PASS sessions, additional workshops for students and staff development courses. The workshops explore strategies to develop a growth mindset, inclusive behaviours, high expectations and enabling language for students and staff.    As part of the overarching mixed-methods evaluation across universities, we conducted a peripheral qualitative study at UoB, where participants shared their stories through narrative interviews. Our research aimed to identify ways in which Mindset workshops influence: undergraduates’ and staff perceptions and experiences of learning, teaching and support concerning:  1. Student belonging, engagement, identity development, confidence and success  2. Understanding of fixed and growth mindset  3. Mindset development of self/others  4. Influence of mindset on the experiences of self/others   5. Strategies to develop their own/ others’ mindset     The objectives were to develop greater understanding of the intervention’s influences on learning, teaching and support practices; and how pedagogic practices and support may be enhanced taking the concept of mindset into account, which may help to contribute towards reducing the attainment gap between undergraduate groups.   

 
10.15 – 10.55 am, Room E512, Level 5   
Transitions between learning in practice and academic settings
Darren Brand, School of Health Sciences
 
This presentation will detail a small scale piece of research, undertaken as part of a Professional Doctorate in Education, which focussed on the experiences of year one adult nursing students following their first clinical placement as part of a BSc (Hons) Nursing course. Interestingly, it is recognised that limited literature exists in relation to the student experience of being mentored (Foster et al, 2014)  Using Lave & Wenger’s Communities of Practice model as an analytical lens following a small group interview, I have noted that there is a strong requirement to ensure that students are fully prepared to learn in a practice environment. This is especially important for learners who may have limited experience of clinical settings, and have become used to the structured learning gained in a university classroom environment. Learning in the workplace is very complex and should not be taken for granted. The session will also highlight the ethical challenges of interviewing students that are taught by the person undertaking the research.     Furthermore, two key findings were noted: 
·         Belonging  Though a stipulation of the NMC (NMC, 2008), the mentor holds a key role in supporting a student nurse in the practice setting, and the feedback gained from my study indicated that a new student does not begin to learn effectively until they feel a sense of belonging and acceptance within the team they are working in. A mentor is felt to hold the key to this process taking place quickly and as smoothly as possible.    
·         Identity with the process of nurse education comprising of 50% theory and 50% practice, there is an argument that student nurses have to wear various “hats” in terms of their identity. Whilst in the academic setting, they are viewed as a student in the traditional sense, but whilst in a placement environment they must contend with acting as a novice practitioner. My research noted that students need to be prepared for this aspect of learning prior to the start of placements.
 
References:
Billett, S. (1996) Towards a model of workplace learning: the learning curriculum. Studies in Continuing Education. 18 (1) 43-58   
Foster, H. A. Ooms, D. Marks-Maran (2014) Nursing students’ expectations and experiences of mentorship. Nurse Education Today. 35 (1) 18-24    
Wenger, E. (2006) Communities of Practice – learning, meaning and identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press   

 
10.15 – 10.55 am, Room B503, Level 5   
Time for Dementia: a new way of seeing
Stephanie Daley and Yvonne Feeney, Brighton and Sussex Medical School
 
Dementia education is a workforce priority within the health professions. Health Education England has mandated the inclusion of dementia education in all undergraduate curricula but practice in this area is varied. The active participation of service users in healthcare education is a tangible method of increasing real life learning and student engagement.
The experiences of people with dementia and their carers is often poor within healthcare settings, with clinician negative attitudes and inadequate knowledge about dementia being key mediating factors. There can often be an over-reliance on task-oriented, as opposed to compassionate care, with the treatment of people with dementia being underpinned by de-humanising attitudes such as objectification and disempowerment. With an ageing population, healthcare professionals of all disciplines are likely to work with people with dementia, regardless of their chosen speciality. It has been suggested that tailored dementia education at undergraduate level provides an opportunity to enhance the attitudes and empathy towards people with dementia at the stage when future healthcare professionals are more open to influence.
The Brighton and Sussex Medical School and the School of Health Sciences have sought to address this challenge by introducing a new mandatory programme, Time for Dementia into their curricula. In Time for Dementia, students visit a family living with dementia over a two year period.  This is the first mandatory multi-disciplinary longitudinal dementia education programme in the world. There is a need to understand the impact of the programme on student outcomes, and the active ingredient underpinning these, the challenges involved in delivery, as well as the potential for Interprofessional Education.
We have undertaken a mixed methods study, which involves:
·         Quantitative measures of dementia attitudes and change in those students receiving Time for Dementia, and comparator students who are not. These are measured at baseline, 12 month and 24 months.
·         Qualitative interviews and focus groups with students who have undertaken the programme
·         Satisfaction surveys with students
Evaluation results have shown statistically significant improvements in dementia knowledge and attitudes. Additionally, students report that they have gained a deeper understanding of what it might be like to live with dementia, that their confidence and skills in communicating with people with dementia has improved, and that they have more awareness of the role of carers.
The research and its findings presented in this session will have implications for dementia researchers, undergraduate healthcare educators, and for other researchers introducing a new programme
References
Banerjee S, Farina N, Daley S, Grosvenor W, Hughes L, Hebditch M, Mackrell S, Niforooshan R, Wyatt C, de Vries K, Haq I, Wright J, 2017, How do we enhance undergraduate healthcare education in dementia? A review of the role of innovative approaches and development of the Time for Dementia programme ,International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 32, 68-75
Hirsh, D. A., Ogur, B., Thibault, G. E., & Cox, M. (2007). " Continuity" as an organizing principle for clinical education reform. New England Journal of Medicine, 356(8), 858.

 
10.15 – 10.55 am, Room B502, Level 5   
Dissecting anatomy: the lived experience
Maria Birch, School of Health Sciences
 
Anatomy is an important component of pre-registration healthcare courses, and much research has been undertaken into how and when it is taught and assessed, largely measured in terms of student performance. No such research base exists regarding the student perspective of this experience. This study used the lived experience of podiatry students when learning anatomy, and applying and developing that learning in clinical practice, to gain insights into the phenomenon of learning and applying anatomy.  The study was conducted using a Husserlian descriptive phenomenological methodology. During a three year pre-registration programme, three students were interviewed following the completion of their first year anatomy module, after two scheduled year three clinical sessions, and after a learning encounter in the dissection room.  Analysis of the interview transcripts revealed the structure of the lived experience to consist of eight constituent parts. The constituent parts have been formulated into a model of learning anatomy which shows that the student experience of learning and applying anatomy is a process comprised of three overlapping sequential stages: making sense, making meaning and working with meaning, and is mediated by reflection.   In this seminar the findings will be presented and a discussion initiated, to consider how this model may help teachers of anatomy, and other similar basic sciences, facilitate learning.  
References:
BERGMAN, E. M., DE BRUIN, A. B., HERRLER, A., VERHEIJEN, I. W., SCHERPBIER, A. J. & VAN DER VLEUTEN, C. P. 2013a. Students’ perceptions of anatomy across the undergraduate problem-based learning medical curriculum: a phenomenographical study. BMC medical education, 13, 152.   
DAVIS, C. R., BATES, A. S., ELLIS, H. & ROBERTS, A. M. 2014. Human anatomy: Let the students tell us how to teach. Anatomical sciences education, 7, 262-272.    GIORGI, A. 1997. The theory, practice, and evaluation of the phenomenological method as a qualitative research procedure. Journal of phenomenological psychology, 28, 235-260.
GREASLEY, K. & ASHWORTH, P. 2007. The phenomenology of ‘approach to studying’: The university student's studies within the lifeworld. British Educational Research Journal, 33, 819-843.    LACHMAN, N. & PAWLINA, W. 2006. Integrating professionalism in early medical education: the theory and application of reflective practice in the anatomy curriculum. Clinical Anatomy, 19, 456-460.   
MOON, J. A. 1999. Reflection in learning and professional development: Theory and practice, Psychology Press.   
WEURLANDER, M., SCHEJA, M., HULT, H. & WERNERSON, A. 2016. The struggle to understand: exploring medical students' experiences of learning and understanding during a basic science course. Studies in Higher Education, 41, 462-477.

 
 
Parallel Sessions 2

 
11.00 – 11.40 am, Room A501, Level 5  
Developing academic writing and international doctoral student experience: transition, translation and the rules of the game?
Tamsin Hinton-Smith, Emily Danvers and Rebecca Webb, Research, Enterprise and Social Partnerships
 
The transitions undertaken by doctoral students in becoming an independent researcher are complex and shaped through different lives and experiences. We set out to explore international students’ experiences of journeys and institutional support for this process as they negotiate the expectations and assumptions of supervisors and others.    We draw on recent empirical research in which international doctoral students reflect on their own experiences of developing their academic writing in English.  The data comes from two focus groups and 19 individual face-to-face interviews with doctoral students, carried out as part of research funded by the UK Council for International Student Affairs in two UK universities.   A key emergent theme is that of the challenges of cross-cultural navigation for ‘international’ students, including the assumptions that are often made about them by others in the host academic institution or country. In relation to transitioning through the doctoral degree as an international student, the problematisation of ‘translation’ emerges throughout the data (Anderson 2008), raising questions around how supported doctoral researchers feel in transit between a range of language and cultural scripts. This includes the challenges of making sense of the discursive context of particular subject discipline norms within the Anglophone and UK university, with different ‘codes’ of language and meaning that what is required/expected (the ‘rules of the game’) can often be very unclear very unclear to international doctoral students. Insights from the research also challenge normative assumptions of ‘good’ academic writing in ways that invoke doctoral student’s legitimacy as knowers (Gordon 2011).
References:
Anderson, V. (2008) The International Education Agenda: International and New Zealand Women Students Sites, New series 5(2), pp. 57-80.    
Gordon, A. (2011) Some Thoughts on Haunting and Futurity, borderlands, 10(2) 1-21.

 
11.00 – 11.40 am, Room B502, Level 5  
Can walking with dogs support students’ sense of well-being?
Marianne Willmer, School of Health Sciences
 
This study is strongly in line with the University of Brighton’s strategic plan; sustainability, those studying are at risk of neglecting physical activity (Sustainability Symposium 2018).  ‘Keeping fit’ is recognised in the ‘Changing Mindsets Project’ as a way to enhance learning, yet underactivity is a recognised risk factor for those studying (Sustainability Symposium 2018).  Contact with others through walking has been identified to support an increased sense of well-being and foster a sense of community (Sustainable Development Unit 2014, King’s Fund 2012) importantly identified in Objective 8: a great place to live in ‘Education and the student experience strategic plan 2017-2021’.     Health students have been under-represented on past dog walking opportunities, yet health workers have been recognised to be more at risk of obesity and exposure to a more hostile work environment (where there are threats, bullying, or harassment) is deemed to influence risk of obesity (Luckhaupt et al, 2010).  We used technology to capture student experience at the point of experiencing it, in relation to dog walking and well-being, by quantitative data.  In addition, a qualitative approach to collect reflections and perceptions in a retrospective way.  This mixed methods approach will form an evaluation as part of the new Public Health and Well-being Research and Enterprise Group, School of Health Sciences. 
This will be work in progress as only quantitative data will have been collected by January.
References:
Campbell, K. et al. 2016. How does dog-walking influence perceptions of health and well-being in healthy adults? A qualitative dog-walk-along study. Anthrozoos. 29:2, 181-192.  De Moor, D. 2013.
Fiocco, A.J. and A.M. Hunse 2017. The Buffer Effect of Therapy Dog Exposure on Stress Reactivity in Undergraduate Students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.  14: 707. 
Royal College of Physicians. 2015 Work and well-being in the NHS: why staff health matters to patient care. [Online} Royal College of Physicians.  Available from: https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/guidelines-policy/work-and-wellbeing-nhs-why-staff-health-matters-patient-care

 
11.00 – 11.40 am, Room A500, Level 5  
Using alumni and LinkedIn to support students and develop their pre-professional identity
Clare Forder and Julie Fowlie, Brighton Business School
 
In this paper we build on existing research around using Brighton Business School (BBS) alumni and LinkedIn to help students develop their pre-professional identity and begin establishing professional networks. This is a continuation of a small-scale study first conducted in 2017-18 with students from BBS’ Finance & Investment degree which has since been expanded to include all degree programmes in the school. All Level 5 (second year) students have been invited to participate. However, following recent National Student Survey (NSS) results, internal Academic Health panels, and assessment by the university’s Widening Participation Achievement Team (WiPAT), it includes a specific focus on black and minority ethnic (BME) students in order to tackle some of the disparities in continuation, progression, achievement, and graduate outcome differentials. We will address why understanding and creation of pre-professional identity is an important aspect of the employability agenda, and we will explore how we involve alumni in helping current students in this endeavour.  We will discuss why LinkedIn was chosen and why sharing alumni profiles with participants could support building their confidence in using the site. We will conclude by examining initial findings from the wider project focusing on the BME cohort and how these might influence future action in developing students’ pre-professional identity.
References:
Bridgstock, R. S. (2018). Educational practices for employability and career development learning through social media: Exploring the potential of LinkedIn. In Practice Futures For the Common Good. Sense-Brill Publishers.    Daniels, J., & Brooker, J. (2014). Student identity development in higher education: implications for graduate attributes and work-readiness. Educational Research, 56(1), 65-76.    Jackson, D (2016) Re-conceptualising graduate employability: the importance of pre-professional identity. Higher Education Research & Development, 35(5), pp.925-939.

 
11.00 – 11.40 am, Room B503, Level 5 
Time for Dementia to Time for Autism
Stephanie Daley, Yvonne Feeney and Laura Gallaher, Brighton and Sussex Medical School
 
Autism is characterised by impairments involving social interaction, language and communication skills and atypical, repetitive behaviours and interests (NHS, 2007. Lack of understanding about the condition frequently leads to delays in receiving diagnosis, which prevents the demonstrable cognitive, linguistic and behavioural benefits of early intervention, compounds parental stress and limits the adoption of effective coping strategies within families. 
Timely diagnosis relies on doctors having the knowledge and skills to recognise early signs of Autism when parents/carers may present with difficulties. However, training (particularly at undergraduate level) is limited and in many cases, missing entirely (Royal College of GPs, 2018). Additionally, there is a lack of evidence relating to Autism education for undergraduate medical students. In order to address this, the Brighton and Sussex Medical School wish to develop a new educational programme for undergraduate medical students called Time for Autism. This follows the success of an existing programme Time for Dementia.  Introducing and embedding new methods of training is a complex task. It is important to understand barriers and facilitators to introducing such a programme.  Collaborative working and relationships within and between HEIs, community members (those living with long-term conditions), students and voluntary sector organisations are crucial to the establishment of longitudinal programmes such as Time for Autism.
The development of Time for Autism will be informed by mixed-methods research through the following sub-studies:
1)      Individual in-depth qualitative interviews with staff working on Time for Dementia (Alzheimer’s Society, NHS trusts, HEI sites) to ascertain facilitators/barriers to implementation
2)      Individual in-depth qualitative interviews with 5th year Medical Students explore current Autism knowledge and gaps therein, and acceptability of the proposed programme
3)      Survey about Autism education in UK Medical Schools (n=33) and interviews with Austism educators to explore areas of concerns and ideas for improvement
4)      Individual in-depth qualitative interviews with families (parent/carer with a child with Autism) to explore views about medical knowledge of AUTISM, and acceptability of the proposed programme.
The session will explore the methodology planned for this research. We will present the findings from sub-study 1 (facilitators/barriers to implementation)
This research has implications for undergraduate healthcare educators, and for other researchers introducing a new programme
Background references
Banerjee S, Farina N, Daley S, Grosvenor W, Hughes L, Hebditch M, Mackrell S, Niforooshan R, Wyatt C, de Vries K, Haq I, Wright J, 2017, How do we enhance undergraduate healthcare education in dementia? A review of the role of innovative approaches and development of the Time for Dementia programme ,International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 32, 68-75
Royal Colleague of General Practice Position Statement on Autistic Spectrum Disorders - PDF [Internet]. [cited 2018 Aug 24]. Available from: http://docplayer.net/29540802-Rcgp-position-statement-on-autistic-spectrum-disorders.html

 
11.00 – 11.40 am, Room E512, Level 5  
A novel way to use personal tutors to improve student retention
Deshinder Singh Gill, School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics
 
The engineering courses at Brighton have in the past few years seen a high level of failure and student non-engagement at Level 4.    This year, a new approach was launched to reverse this trend.  This involved using Personal Academic Tutors (PAT) as part of a brand new module at Level 4 called XE421 Engineering Practice. 
The Personal Academic Tutors are now timetabled to meet their students once a week in a room with other tutors for an hour.  A schedule of work is provided.  It details what needs to be done each week, so tutors and students have a clear idea as to what to do within that time frame.  Another change is the increase in the number of tutors for level 4 from 12 to 20. 
This resulted in smaller groups, which in turn allowed students to interact more effectively with their PATs within the timetabled slot.  Finally, ten groups were timetabled to be in the same room at the same time.  Each group were located round a table with their PAT, making the interaction much more personal, but at the same time, the students could be directed by the module leader for that particular task. 
Initial results have shown a higher level of engagement amongst the students as well as a way to identify students who were not attending or engaging in the first seven weeks of the course.  This presentation will discuss the pedagogic rationale of what was implemented this year and evaluate its findings.  It should be made clear that the PATS are NOT acting as personal tutors in this instance.  Instead, they are part of a very large module team, and are responsible for some of the teaching and all of the assessment.  The PAT see their students regularly as module tutors, but at the same time, both the PAT and student get to know each other, thus building a relationship that is hope will be of benefit for the rest of the course.
References
Boud, David, Cohen, Ruth, Walker, David (1993) Using Experience For Learning, Open University Press
Smith,E.M., (2008) Personal Tutoring - an Engineering Subject Centre guide, Higher Education Academy Engineering Subject Centre
Wingate, U. (2007) A Framework for Transition: Supporting ‘Learning to Learn’ in Higher Education, Higher Education Quarterly, Volume61, Issue3, July 2007, Pages 391-405

 
Parallel Sessions 3

 
12.00 – 12.40 pm, Room A501, Level 5  
Curious Cloud: evaluating the efficacy of a model for teaching creative ‘messy’ problem solving
David Foster, Brighton Business School
 
The aim of this research is to evaluate how fully the Curious Cloud model encapsulates the process of identifying and creatively solving messy business challenges and to understand the practical value of the model to workshop participants.    Despite a significant body of research and opinion around the subject of creativity and problem-solving, the author found no existing models which simply clarified the work that students and executives needed to do to spot a problem worth solving, solve it and see the solution through to successful implementation.  In the summer of 2016 the first version of Curious Cloud was created for use in an idiosyncratic second-year undergraduate module at a Business School.  The model was subsequently iterated and from 2017 used within two postgraduate modules on Strategy.  In 2018 the model was additionally taught to executives in the Public Sector and in a FTSE 250 company.  This research seeks to understand whether the model brings anything new to the fields of creativity and problem solving, and whether it resonates sufficiently to be of practical use to students and executives.  The research objective to:  1. Compare the discreet elements and sub-elements of the model with current thinking in the fields of creativity and problem solving  2. Compare the model as a whole to other holistic models of creativity or problem solving  3. Understand the efficacy of the model for different groups of student participants, as taught in an undergraduate ‘Creativity in Enterprise’ module and postgraduate Strategy modules.  4. Understand the efficacy of the model as taught to different groups of executive participants in commercial workshops.  Preliminary findings will be presented at this session.
References:
Blatt, S.J. & Stein, M.I. 1959, "Efficiency in Problem Solving", The Journal of Psychology, vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 193-213.   
Runco, M.A. & Jaeger, G.J. 2012, "The Standard Definition of Creativity", Creativity Research Journal, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 92-96.   
Stein, M.I. 1953, "Creativity and Culture", Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 311-322.

 
12.00 – 12.40 pm, Room A500, Level 5  
Valuing collaboration: use of a Q sort method to build resilience for learners through curriculum design
Caroline Hudson, Jess Mills and Nita Muir, School of Health Sciences
 
The latest thinking on resilience building as applied to learners on a professional programme will be presented drawing on a social justice stance (Hart et al 2016) to curriculum enhancement. It will present some of the key findings from a curriculum development initiative that aimed to build resilience and to meet professional body (PRSB) requirements that require learners to evidence proficiency in resilience (NMC 2018).   Aim: To use a collaborative approach within curriculum design to better ‘the odds’ for learners through resilience building in a professional preparation context, linking to the Centre of Resilience for Social Justice approach.https://www.brighton.ac.uk/resilience-for-social-justice/index.aspx.     Collaborative approach: The initial phase of collaboration enabled identification of ‘resilient moves’ through discussions with course team members. In addition students’ evaluative feedback was reviewed to generate resilience themes. This enabled ‘practice wisdom’ to be combined with a scoping of the literature to identify resilience building factors.     Q sort method. Resilience building statements were developed following the initial collaborative phase and utilised in a Q sort method at the BSc Nursing programme curriculum review event (April 2018). Using poll everywhere various stakeholder groups were able to rank the resilience building statements.    Findings: Aspects of the collaborative process and insights from the Q sort initiative and how these impacted the curriculum design will be presented.     Conclusions: The collaborative approach to the resilience Q sort enabled the course design team to review resilience building strategies during the curriculum design drawing on stakeholders’ views. This collaborative process to Q sort method has potential for curriculum enhancement more widely.  
References:
Hanson, J.  & M. McAllistair (2017)  Preparation for workplace adversity: Student narratives as a stimulus for learning. Nurse Education in Practice. 89-95    Hart et al (2016) Uniting Resilience research and practice with an inequalities approach. Accessed http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2158244016682477    Jackson, D., M. Hutchinson, E. Bronwyn, J. Mannix, K. Peters, R. Weaver & Y. Salamonson (2011) Struggling for legitimacy: nursing students’ stories of organisational aggression, resilience and resistance. Nursing Inquiry 18(2):102-110. 
NMC (2018) Future nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses. https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/education-standards/future-nurse-proficiencies.pdf. Accessed 05.10.18 

 
12.00 – 12.40 pm, Room E512, Level 5  
Escape room design for learning
Panagiotis Fotaris, School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics
 
Many organisations require formal security awareness training for all workers when they join the organisation and periodically thereafter. Typical training methods, such as online courses or conventional taught learning, often suffer from a lack of engagement and motivation from learners. Unlike these methods though, games are generally very successful at keeping players constantly motivated and engaged in a set of tasks for many hours without apparent loss of focus. In particular, escape rooms (e.g., adventure games in which players work together to solve puzzles using hints, clues, and a strategy to escape from a locked room) are becoming increasingly popular as a team building activity due to the fact that they require players to quickly adopt successful team strategies in order to progress through the game successfully. The nature of the game means that players’ critical thinking, creativity, people management, and communication skills (i.e., the 5 top skills for high-paying jobs by 2020 according to the World Economic Forum) are all put to the test. Based on that, there is great potential in using escape rooms as interactive, playful educational activities. This presentation describes the development of an instructional escape room as a hands-on, team-based approach to active learning through a series of puzzles designed around a particular common security best practice.  However, the approach of using an escape room for educational purposes can be generalised to other subjects. The principles of the game will remain the same, i.e., the escape room will still be a live-action, team-based game where a small group of players discovers clues, solve puzzles, and accomplish tasks to escape from an area in a limited amount of time. The only things that will require changing are the scenario and the puzzles.
References:
Kinio, A.E., Dufresne, L., Brandys, T., & Jetty, P. (2018). Break out of the Classroom: The Use of Escape Rooms as an Alternative Teaching Strategy in Surgical Education, Journal of Surgical Education, ISSN 1931-7204, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsurg.2018.06.030   http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1931720418303283     
Zhang, X. C., Lee, H., Rodriguez, C., Rudner, J., Chan, T. M., & Papanagnou, D. (2018). Trapped as a Group, Escape as a Team: Applying Gamification to Incorporate Team-building Skills Through an “Escape Room” Experience. Cureus, 10(3), e2256. http://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.2256    
Wise, H., Lowe, J., Hill, A., Barnett, L., and Barton, C. 2018. Escape the welcome cliché: Designing educational escape rooms to enhance students’ learning experience. Journal of Information Literacy, 12(1), pp.86–96 http://dx.doi.org/10.11645/12.1.2394   

 
12.00 – 12.40 pm, Room B502, Level 5  
Construction of Physiotherapy students' identity on a seven day practice placement
Sarah Elliott, School of Health Sciences
 
The physiotherapy profession is required to constantly review its current status, particularly in light of significant changes occurring internationally in healthcare and education settings. Amongst these changes are globalisation, greater community expectations and accountability. In the UK, the diversification of the physiotherapy profession to provide a seven day service has been required to meet the changing needs of society and to reflect developments and competitive pressures in the UK´s health service. However, little is known about how practice educators and students experience this model.  Purpose:  With such a change in practice, it is of high importance to gain insight to the experiences of those participating in seven day placements. The findings may provide a clearer description and deeper understanding of the implementation of seven day working on practice based education in physiotherapy. This may offer insight to others and may inform future practice.  Methods:  Qualitative research informed by phenomenology has explored the experiences of physiotherapy students, practice based educators and university link tutors in a seven day model of working. Semi - structured interviews were undertaken. The participants were asked to discuss their experiences of practice based placements hosted across a seven day model of working. Utlising approaches to professional identity by Caza& Creary (2016), I propose that physiotherapy students develop personal, practice and professional constructs that can be related to a hierarchy of needs.  Results:  Physiotherapy students are demonstrating transformative learning as they begin to understand the practice and professional factors that influence practice based education in a seven day model of delivery. The physiotherapy students move beyond their own personal epistemological beliefs, to ontological aspects of professional ways of being in the changing environment of practice. But this journey is not taken in isolation, it involves interaction with other members of the community; practice educators, HEI´s and the professional body.  Conclusion(s):  Creation of a professional identity in physiotherapy involves past, present and future experiences and in relation to seven day practice education I propose that it can be related to a hierarchy of needs. Practice-based education in a seven-day model of working has created an influential space for learning. The boundaries have changed due to inconsistent working patterns and this has shaped participants beliefs and images of physiotherapy practice in this new method of service delivery and may have contributed to the construction of individual professional identities Implications: The physiotherapy students have gained insight into a developing aspect of healthcare; they have formed and transformed their identity as they have created different ways of knowing and being. Barnett (2009) suggests that if these concepts of being and becoming are embedded in practice it will underpin student´s journey´s to becoming a new self. From this perspective, becoming a physiotherapist in a model of seven-day working is a continual and dynamic process of reconciling who we are as learners, educators and providers of physiotherapy education, what we think we know about practice education and discerning what we think we should know so as to create a future workforce that is fit for purpose.

 
Parallel Sessions 4

 
12.50 – 1.30 pm, Room A501, Level 5  
Investigating the relationship between attendance and attainment
Simon Wilkinson, Sarah Varney-Burch, and Vy Rajapillai, School of Humanities
 
This study investigates the relationship between students’ attendance in structured learning sessions and their impact on students’ academic performance. SPSS data from our selected modules suggests that attendance and performance correlate but only weakly and that the patterns of correlation between modules are quite different depending on size of cohort, assessment type etc. There are some studies that  have already started to question the traditional view of direct correlation e.g. in health science (Bati et al 2013) and in business schools (Mearman et al 2014), which focus instead on factors such as the nature of delivery of lectures, difficulty of the subject matter as well as adopting to university environment. However, these studies still argue, explicitly and implicitly, that attendance in structured learning sessions has a direct impact on students’ academic performance. Self (2012) even argues for a coercive approach to attendance through attendance policy that works on a rewards/punishment approach. We argue that the relationship between attendance and performance is far more complex than previously believed and the correlations we see in the data result from the interacting relationships of multiple causes to the extent that increased attendance does not necessarily lead to increased performance. Using our statistical data we will identify students whose profiles will allow us to investigate the multiple factors that affect students’ attendance and performance.
References:
Bati, A. H., Mandiracioglu, A., Orgun, F., & Govsa, F. (2013). Why do students miss lectures? A study of lecture attendance amongst students of health science. Nurse Education Today, 33(6), 596–601. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2012.07.010
Mearman, A., Pacheco, G., Webber, D., Ivlevs, A., & Rahman, T. (2014). Understanding student attendance in business schools: An exploratory study. International Review of Economics Education, 17, 120–139. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.iree.2014.10.002   
Self, S., 2012. Studying absenteeism in principles of macroeconomics: do attendance policies make a difference? J. Econ. Educ. 43 (3) 223–234. 

 
12.50 – 1.30 pm, Room B502, Level 5  
A spotlight on the International Student Experience, through the highs and lows of their student journey
Caroline Lewis and Martin Torjussen, University of Brighton International College
 
The workshop session will explore the student journey of international students into Higher Education. We will consider and share insights on the expectations of international students before they arrive, as well as those of their stakeholders (e.g. parents and sponsors). During the session we will take a whistle stop tour through some of the key highs and lows for international students in their adjustment to studying in Higher Education in the UK, to see how this matches up against their expectations. From reviewing these key successes and challenges, we will then present some case studies of initiatives which have been implemented at the University of Brighton International College, in order to celebrate these successes and support students in overcoming the challenges they face.
The workshop will conclude by reviewing these case studies for their application to different contexts and consider how these insights could inform our practice to provide an improved experience for international students in Higher Education. In particular, we will focus on some examples which can be used to inform: teaching practice; curriculum design; the ‘wrap around’ service levels to students; celebrating diversity and providing opportunities for integration; transition and the role of social media.
We will refer to relevant research in this area and will take insights from initiatives which are already in use, initiatives which are currently ‘in progress’ as well as planned curriculum developments for the coming academic year at the International College.

 
12.50 – 1.30 pm, Room A500, Level 5  
Diverse placements and volunteering: what do students gain?
Simon Otter, Deborah Whitham and Pauline Riley, School of Health Sciences
 
For many years the final year students on the Podiatry pre-registration course have volunteered at both the Brighton and London Marathon’s in a clinical support role supervised by University of Brighton (UoB) staff.  This opportunity is outside our standard clinical teaching for undergraduate podiatry students and is a different experience to formal clinical placements. Consequently these experiences are voluntary (but highly sought) and diverse given the nature of the quasi ‘clinical environment’.  We will present an exploration of the student learning experience during volunteering in such a dynamic and demanding clinical environment and consider what (if any) elements of learning can be translated more effectively back into the in-house clinical teaching environment.  We seek an open discussion with colleagues into their experience of volunteering & diverse placement models.  This was a qualitative study to explore experiential learning based on underpinning phenomenological principles and used focus groups with students over a two year period to generate data. Focus group conversations were led by a colleague external to the University, recorded and transcribed verbatim prior to thematic analysis according to concepts outlined by Van Manen (1990).  In total six major themes were identified 
1.            Multi-disciplinary working 
2.            Psychosocial issues 
3.            The environment 
4.            Clinical skills 
5.            Learning approaches 
6.            Barriers to learning   
Overall, student experiences were mixed but the experience filled a perceived gap in learning. However, the frantic nature of the event both impeded and facilitated learning. There remains a considerable challenge in preparing for a dynamic event and the group dynamic was perceived to impact on equality of learning opportunities.
References:
Mundle, C., Naylor, C. & Buck, D. (2012). Volunteering in health and care in England. Kings Fund   Available from: http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/sites/files/kf/field/field_related_document/volunteering-in-health-literature-review-kingsfund-mar13.pdf    Van Manen, M. (1990). Researching lived experience. SUNY press 

 
12.50 – 1.30 pm, Room B503, Level 5  
The values process approach to enhancing the Higher Education experience
Pauline Rutter, Ammu Sanyal and Mahsa Firoozmand, School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics
 
This workshop session is designed for participants to explore an evolving research methodology through which 'Values' can be co-defined within the HE setting to improve participation, retention and progression and to enhance teaching, learning, assessment and achievement at all levels of HE:     It will be of particular interest to HE staff who are:
·         Currently working as part of a team or collaboration with aims and action plans to improve the HE experience and outcomes for students entering their department
·         Are interested in cohesion, collaboration and efficient and effective working within and between HE departments, would like to explore how developing a 'values' framework within an HE setting, could support inclusion, diversity, communication, strategic planning, decision making and/or funding applications
·         Have an interest in how values based indicators can enhance inclusive and accessible monitoring, measurement and evaluation which makes full use of technology driven reporting tools appropriate to internal and external stakeholders   
The VSRG Values Process has been developed through rigorous research. It provides delegates with an opportunity to experience this approach and its ability to generate useful discussions about shared and unshared values which link to real decisions and actions. Participants will crystallise their own values from the perspective of working in a current team/collaboration or future collaborative scenario as well as exploring new developments in this values-based approach. 
References:
An overview of the EU project and its co-inception:  Podger, D., Piggot, G., Zahradnik, M., Janouskova, S., Velasco, I., Hak, T., Dahl, A., Jimenez, A.,& Harder, M.K. (2010). The Earth Charter and the ESDinds initiative: developing indicators and assessment tools for civil society organisations to examine the values dimensions of sustainability projects. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 4(2), 297-305.    The setting out of the WeValue approach as an evaluation approach, with results from three studies:  Burford, G., Velasco, I., Janouskova, S., Zahradnik, M., Hak, T., Podger, D., Piggot, G.,& Harder, M.K. (2013). Field trials of a novel toolkit for evaluating ‘intangible’ values-related dimensions of projects. Evaluation and Program Planning, 36(1), 1-14.    Outline of the adapted methodology for developing values-based indicators in Higher Education, and their usefulness for sustainability institutional assessment:  Ribeiro, M.M., Hoover, E., Burford, G., Buchebner, J., Lindenthal, T. (2016) Values: a bridge between sustainability and institutional assessment – a case study from BOKU University. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 17(1) 40-53.     

 
Lunch and Poster Presentations
1.30 – 2.20 pm, Asa Briggs Foyer, Level 1  

 
 
 

 

 

 Find out more

 
​Please contact Rachel Masika
 

 Previous Enhancing Higher Education Conferences

 
Page owner: Fiona Handley